02/13/2026
The Ukrainian Defense Forces are conducting localized counterattacks at the junction of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions. The preconditions for their conduct were likely created by the recent shutdown of Starlink terminals for Russia.
The fact that the Russian authorities single-handedly deprived the occupiers of another important communication channel for them – the Telegram messenger – also played into the hands of the Ukrainian military, according to a new report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
What is known
Analysts noted that Ukrainian forces are carrying out localized counterattacks near the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, likely taking advantage of the recent blocking of Starlink and Telegram terminals for Russian occupiers.
Geolocation footage released on February 12 captured Russian strikes on static Ukrainian positions east of the Gaichur River, specifically east and south of Dobropillya and north of Varvarivka (both northwest of Hulyaipol).
This footage, analysts believe, suggests that Ukrainian forces likely controlled these positions by February 12 and are likely using localized counterattacks to reconnect these frontline positions with each other .
At the same time, the occupiers, as suggested by ISW, probably bypassed these Ukrainian positions during infiltration missions in order to exaggerate the scale of Russian gains in the area.
Reports of limited localized Ukrainian counterattacks near the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions began to be observed in ISW on February 9.
Russian Z-bloggers initially portrayed these counterattacks as a broader Ukrainian “counteroffensive ,” but Ukrainian military sources and some Russian channels later clarified that the Ukrainian counterattacks were limited in scale and reach.
Z-bloggers continue to claim that Ukrainian troops are carrying out counterattacks north and northwest of Hulyaipol, but note that the situation on the ground remains unclear due to the deterioration of communications among Russian troops on the front line.
” Ukrainian tactical counterattacks in the area are likely an opportunistic response to favorable battlefield conditions. A senior NATO official told the BBC Russian Service on February 11 that at least some of Ukraine’s battlefield successes in the eastern Zaporizhia region were due to SpaceX’s efforts to prevent Russian forces from using Starlink terminals in early February 2026,” the material states.
A Kremlin-linked Russian military blogger claimed that there are “new complicating factors” that have exacerbated communication problems in Russian military units due to restrictions on Russian troops’ access to Starlink. ISW suggested that he was probably referring to the Kremlin’s decision to block Telegram. And this, combined with SpaceX’s restrictions on the use of Russian Starlink, analysts say, “will seriously affect Russian communications in the near future.”
“Ukrainian counterattacks in the border area of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions are likely aimed at exploiting these recent challenges to Russian communications and command and control,” ISW summarized.
Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that the Defense Forces have pushed the Russians out of the outskirts of Kupyansk. According to Viktor Tregubov, head of the communications department of the Joint Forces Group, a small, uncombatable group of Russian soldiers remains surrounded in the city center.
At the same time, according to him, the Russian offensive towards Kupyansk-Vuzlovye continues. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that this settlement was “liberated” on January 27.
“A Kremlin-linked Russian military blogger claimed that there are “new complicating factors” that have exacerbated communication problems in Russian military units due to restrictions on Russian troops’ access to Starlink. ISW suggested that he was probably referring to the Kremlin’s decision to block Telegram. And this, combined with SpaceX’s restrictions on the use of Russian Starlink, analysts say, “will seriously affect Russian communications in the near future.”
If the cockroaches do not regain access to Starlink or put something else in place that is like it (highly unlikely) then this will affect their communications farther than just the near future.
This assistance came from an unexpected source: Elon Musk.
Has he flipped back to Ukraine?
It’s so much better to have the world’s richest man as your ally.
Incidentally Musk says he is not the world’s richest; putler is.
An opinion shared by Sir Bill Browder amongst others.
A question that puzzles me and I’m sure many supporters of Ukraine :
putler is a child murdering nazi; the worst criminal of the 21st century. A horrible, gloating, sadistic psychopath. Yet no one has gone after his money. $200 billion: stashed away in family accounts, crony accounts, bogus businesses, property etc.
Surely forensic accountants can find at least some of this and high level hackers can grab it?
Why not?
I agree that the gutter rat is the richest, having stolen mafia land’s money for decades, even before he was “elected” as its “president”. And I’m convinced that the reason why nobody has gone after his money is because we have deep corruption across the West. There are some who are profitting from his filthy money. Maybe this is even a part of the Trumpstein files.
Why not? Maybe because he’s a *murderous* sadistic psychopath. Who has lots of skilled hackers on his payroll who might be able to track down whoever “liberated” his money.
There are lots of other people to steal from, where there’s less chance of waking up with a polonium enema.